Filing cabinet



Jan. 12 1926.

F. W. TOBEY FILING CABINET Filed July 19, 1923 Fre'c i: W. Tobey 5% MW? Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRED W. TOBEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. f

FILING CABINET.

Application filed July 18, 1928. serial No. 852,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED W. Team, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, county .of Kent, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filin Cabinets, of

which the following is a speci cation,

This invention relates to improvements in filing cabinets. he main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved filing cabinet which may be adapted by the user or by the dealer to receive drawers of different sizes.

Second, to provide an improved filing cabinet having the advantages above indicated in which the changes or adaptations may be re idly and easily effected and without the ai of special tools or equipment.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. I is a front perspective view of a filing cabinet embodving the features of my invention, one of the drawers being partially withdrawn.

Fig. II is an inside view of one of my improved auxiliarv drawer supports with an extension slide therein, the relation of {he drawer thereto being indicated by dotted mes.

Fig. III is a vertical section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. II, the supporting rollers being shown in full lines.

F ig.,IV is a fragmentary perspective view of the cabinet with the drawers removed, one of the auxiliary drawer slide-ways beingshown disengaged from the cabinet.

ig. V is a fragmentary front perspective of one of the compartments with the auxiliary drawer supports in position therein.

Fig. VI is a perspective view of the cross piecefor the auxiliary drawer supports.

Fig. VII is a detail section on a line corresponding to line 7-7 of Fig. II, showing structural details.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken'looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the casmg which is divided into drawer compartments by the cross pieces 2. The

structure illustrated in Fig. I is provided with three full sized drawers 3 and one unit of half-sized drawers 4. It will be understood that in practice some needs require the full size and others the small or part of each and sometimes these conditions change with the growth or the changing of thebusiness.

To accommodate these conditions, I construct the casing with main drawer slides 5 for each compartment and so that it is adapted to receive the auxiliary drawer slides 6, the terms main and auxiliary being used for convenience in description, as the slides are, in practice, the same except as to the means for securing them in position. a

The casing illustrated is provided with front corner uprights or members 7 having keyhole slots 8 therein disposed with their small ends downward in forwardly inclined relation. The rear upright or corner members 9 have slots 10 disposed in their forward edges or forwardly facing.

The auxi 'ar drawer slide-wa s- 6 are provided with eaded studs 11 a apted to be enga ed in the slots 7 and with a pivoted locking lever 12 having an olfset'13 at the rear of its pivot 14, the lever being offset so that its endmay swing ll'ltO'tlli' slot 10 and its shoulder engage the rear upright, thereby supporting and locking the support with its studs in engagement with the keyhole slots.

The locking lever is provided with a U- shaped cross piece 15 at its outer or swing ing end adapted to embrace the way when the lever is in locking'position. This provides an effective means for detachably securing the support 6 and permits the end being detached should it be desired to adapt the ways for the large sized drawer 3.

The auxiliary supports may be furnished to the dealers and they can quickly adapt the cabinet to the particular needs of the customer or they may be furnished the customer as conditions may require.

The support 6 illustrated is a channel support or way adapted-to receive the extension slides 16 for the drawer 4. The exhole slots in the inner side thereof dispo tension slides are ,provided with rollers coacting with the ways and with the drawer, but these features of the extension slides form no part of my present invention.

After the extension slides are secured, as described, the cross piece 17 is applied, this cross piece being notched at 18 to accommodate the front uprights, the cross piece being secured to thelower flanges of th'e'ways by the bolts 19. u i

I have not attempted to illustrate and describe various modifications and adaptations which I contemplate as I believe the disclosure made will enable those skilled.

in the art to embody or adapt my improve ments as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a casing provided with front and rear corner members, the front member having key;

se with their small ends downward and forwardly inclined, the rear member hav' a slot in its front edge, a channel-shaped drawer slide-way having headed studs at its front end engageable with said keyhole slots, and a lockin lever 'pivotally mounted on the rear side 0 said way and having an offset end engageable with said slot in-said rear corner member, said locking member having a U-sliape'd cross iece at its front end engageable with sai the lockm a cabinet, the combination of g a casing provigled with front and rear corner members, the front member having keyhole slots in the inner side thereof dis sed with their small ends downward an forwardly inclined, the rear member having a slot in its front ed e, a channel-shaped drawer slide-way having headed studs atits front end engageable with said keyhole slots, and a lockm on the rear side 0 said way and having an offset end engageable with said slot in said rear corner member. I

3. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a casing provided with slotted front and rear corner .members, a drawer support member having a stud at its front end engageable with the slot in said front corner member and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the rear side of said support member to be an aged with said slotin said rear corner member, said locking lever having a U-shaped cross piece at its front end engageable with said support when the looking lever is in engagingposition.

4. In a filing cabinet. the combination of a casing provided with. slotted, front and rear corner members, a drawer support member having a stud at its front end enslide-way when member is in engaging position.

lever pivotally mounted ,into engagement corner members gageable with the slot in said. front corner member, and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the rear side of said support member to be en aged with said slot in said rear corner mem r.

i 5. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a casing provlded with slotted front and rear corner members, a drawer support member having a stud at its front end engageable with the slot in said front corner member, and a locking member pivotally mounted on said support member to be engaged with therear corner member and said slot therein, the swinging end of said locking member being engageable with said support when the locking member is in actuated position. v

6. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a casing having an inwardly fac' keyhole slot at thefront thereof and a f irwardly facing slot at the rear thereof, a drawer support member having a headed stud'engageable with said keyhole slot, and a locking member pivotally mounted on said an ort to be swung into en agement with 881d orwardly facing slot w ereb said drawer support member is supported in operative position within said 7. In a filin cabinet, the combination of a casing provi ed with a plurality of compartments provided with main drawer sup: ports, said casing being also provided with front and rear corner members, the front corner members having keyhole slots inter: mediate the top and bottom of the compartments, and the rear corner members having slots in their front edges, auxiliary drawer supports having headed studs at their forward ends engageable with said keyhole slots, and locking members ed on the inner sides 0 said auxiliary drawer supportsto be swung 'into ment with t e 'slots in'the rear corner mem- %bers whereby said auxiliary drawer supports may be inserted to adapt the compartments for a plurality of drawers.

8. In a cabinet, the combination of a casing provi ed with a plurality of compartments provided with main drawer suprts, said casing being also provided with ont and rear corner members having slots intermediate the top and bottom of the com-- partmen'ts, auxili drawer supports having studs at their orward ends engageable with said slots in the frontcorner members, and locking mem rs pivotally mounted on said auxiliary drawer supports to be with the slots in the rear whereby said a drawer supports may be to adapt the compartments for a plurah'ty of drawers. In witnem whereof, have hereunto set my hand.

FRED W. TOBEY.

pivotally mount- I 

